Garment



May 5, 1936. E. c. MCKEEFREY GARMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 5, 1934 -WITNESS mvENToR W v EL x//AA C'. Mc /fEfF/PEV 7g www/QAM BY M ATTORNEYS l vMay 5, 1936` E. c. MCKEEFREY 2,039,821

GARMENT Filed 'may 5, 1934 2 sheets-sheet 2 ATTORN EYS Patented May 5, 1936 GARMENT Elvira C. McKeefrey, Brooklyn, N. Y., assigner to The Model Brassere Co., Inc., Brooklyn, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application May 5, 1934, Serial No. 724,028

10 Claims.

rIhis invention relates to a ladys garment. The object of the invention is to provide a ladys garment which is light, thin, soft and exible throughout, constructed to conform substantially to bust formation, provided with two bust supporting pockets, the portion below the deepest point of each of such, pockets being provided with a. plurality of thin, narrow, exible supporting members covered preferably with a soft material, the bust4 sections being otherwise without stiftening or honing, the entire structure being capable of beingworn directly next to the body, supporting the bust and being retained in proper wearing position.

More particularly the invention relates to brassires and has for its object to provide the bust supporting members of a garment of this type with a plurality of stays terminating below a horizontal line passing just below the 'nipple when the garment is in position upon the wearer, and, of which the intermediate stay is the longest, thereby serving to point the bust supporting members of the garment so as to have such members configure as closely as possible to a firm, natural bust formation with the bust nipple directly in line with the intermediate stay of each bust supporting member. v A more particular object of my invention is to provide a garment having bust supporting members shaped to natural bust formation, the bust supporting members being each provided with a plurality of covered stays confined beneath the deepest portion of each member. such stays consisting of'an odd number, the upper edge of the intermediate stay of each bust supporting member being at a higher elevation than the upper edges of the adjoining stays so as to shape the busts, when the garment is worn, with the nipples immediately above the upper edges of the intermediate stays of each of the bust supporting members.

A still further object of the invention is to provide the bust supporting members of an uplift type of brassire with a plurality of odd numbered stays, the intermediate one of such stays being positioned directly beneath the deepest portion of each of the bust supporting members of the brassire, the stays adjoining the inter-v mediate stay of each bust supporting member having their upper edges farther apart than their lower edges.

A feature of my novel garment is the fact that each of the bust supporting pockets thereof is provided with an uplift element of such construction that the busts of the wearer are enclosed within the supporting pockets of the garment in such manner as to bring out to the greatest possible extent the desirable natural and most healthfull contouration of the busts, i. e. a position in which the central protuberances 5 or nipples of the busts are properly positioned and the busts in their entirety are supported in their proper positions when the garment is worn.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a brassire adapted for wear by persons whose bust locations are such that it is dilcult for them to wear a brassire which will support such unnaturally'located busts, in such positions as to appear of natural contour and disposition. For instance, if the bust widths of the wearer are different, my novel garment will be conducive to present the appearance of a natural bust formationand location by reason of the supporting and positioning functions of the stays provided upon the bust supporting members.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate various embodiments of my invention without, however, defining its limits, Fig. 1 is an elevation illustrating the rear view of one form of my novel garment, in the form of a brassire; Fig. 2 26 is a front view of such form of my invention as the garment appears upon the wearer; Fig. 3 is a side view of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 shows one of the covered stays provided upon the `bust supporting members of my novel brassire with a portion of the covering thereof broken away so as to show the stay'strip thereon; Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but illustrating a modified form of my brassire; Fig. 6 shows an insert to which the stays are applied and which is adapted to be retained between the fabric or netting elements constituting the lbust supporting members; Fig. 7 is a section on line 'l-l of Fig. 6; Fig. 8 shows a still further modified form of my invention in which the stays are directly sewn within two fabric 40 strips of an insert, and Fig. 9 is the section on the line 9-9 of Fig. 8.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, in which similar reference characters identify similar parts in the several views, in the form illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3, my novel brassire comprises an outer section i0 of relatively soft' fabric or other equally pliable material. 'I'he contour of the outer section In is substantially like that usually employed for the proper formation of a brassire. A suitable fastening device, such as an elastic band ii provided with a locking element i2 permits the garment to be fastened about the body of the wearer, the garment, when constituting a brassire, being supported by means of shoulder straps !3--I3. It is to be understood, however, that it is not necessary -to provide my novel garment with shoulder straps, as such garment, especially when the upper fabric portions of the bust supporting members are eliminated, so as to constitute a bandeau type of garment, may be retained in proper wearing position Without such external supporting means.

The garment' comprises 'two bust supporting members Ill-I4, each of such members consisting of an enlargement of the fabric material constituting the outer section I0. In' accordance with my invention a plurality of covered stays I5 are arranged beneath the deepest portion of each of the bust supporting members I4, an odd number of such stays being preferably provided.

As will be noted from an examination of the drawings, the intermediate stay I5a of each bust supporting member has its upper edge at a. higher elevation than the adjoining. stays I 5b, the adjoining stays I5b being preferably of such lengths that their upper edges are successively lower than the stays next adjoining the intermediate stay. The upper edges of the stays adjoining the intermediate stay of each bust supporting member are further apart than the lower edges of such adjoining stays. As particularly brought out in Figs. 2 and 3, my novel brassire, when worn, supports the busts in their most desirable and naturally appearing positions, the nipples of the breasts being positioned immediately above the intermediate stay of each supporting member. In this manner my novel .brassire is conducive to support the busts so as to have the samev pointed and to give the busts a firm and therefore most desirable configuration.

It will be evident that when my novel bras sire is worn by a person Whose bust locations are not precisely `natural, the supporting stays of the brassire will permit the positioning of the busts to their most natural formation and to support the same in such position.

Inthe preferred embodiment of my invention the stays I5 comprise strips of a fabric material which are secured by stitching I6 to the soft fabric material constituting the bust supporting members, so as to form pockets into which may be inserted a reinforcing element I1 which may take the form of any suitable whalebone, celluloid, or similar strip. The portion of the stays I5, I5a or I5b which is to contact with the body of the wearer, may be made from a plush or velvet material or of silk, so as to reduce the tendency to' chafe when in contact with the body of4 the wearer.

In the embodiment of my invention illustrated in Figs. 5 to 7, a plurality of stays I5 are provided in a separate pad element or insert I9. In such embodiment, the insert I9 is made of the approximate configuration of the portion of the bust supporting members illustrated in Fig. 1 to which the stays are applied, such pad being adapted to be inserted between the two layers of soft fabric material constituting the bust supporting members and to be secured thereto by stitching 20. As shown in the sectional view, Fig. '7, the insert I9 comprises a backing of a fabric 2| to which are securedv the plurality of stays 22 by stitching 23 so as to form pockets within which are inserted the stay strips I1.

A slightly modified form of insert is shown in Figs. 8 and 9 in which the, insert comprises two strips of fabric material, 24 and 25, joined by stitching 26 so as to form pockets 21 into which are inserted the stay strips I1.

- the two layers of fabric material constituting the bust supporting members I4 so that they may be removed therefrom when the brassire is laundered. While this is not a dominant feature of my invention, it may constitute a preferred construction in those cases in which the stay elements I1 are made of a material which is4 not readily washable or which will deteriorate' or be subject to fracture uponrepeated laundering.

While I have described my novel garment as being provided with a plurality of stays of an odd number and have illustrated such number of stays as five, it is obvious that any number of stays within reason may be used. Thus, the advantages of my invention may be obtained by using three or seven of such stays so long as such' stays are arranged within each bust-supporting member and are confined-beneath the deepest portion of such member.

It is to be observed that my novel garment is provided with two pocket members or enlargements, generally conical in form, the deepest portion or apex of each of said enlargements accommodating the bust nipple with which one of the stays of each enlargement is in alignment, upon each side of such stays other stays being disposed supporting the remaining portions of the busts on each side of the nipple.

When the garment is placed upon the body, by reason of the shape and location o1' the supports constituted by the stays, the above described relationship of the nipple of each bust to the remainder of the bust, is obtained, the lower por'- tions of the garment enlargements presenting a tight glove-fit thereby supporting the busts in a natural and desirable position. Consequently, it is not necessary to provide any external means forv retaining my novel garment from creeping upwardly upon the body of the wearer, asin prior art constructions.

While I have described specific embodiments of my invention, it is obvious that various modifications therein, particularly in the arrangement of the parts may be made without departing from my invention.

1. A garment adapted to be worn directly next to the body, comprising bust-supporting members, each member constituted of relatively soft fabric material shaped to bust formation, and a plurality of stays arranged within each member, confined beneath the deepest portion of each member, and extending in a direction substantially nearer to the vertical than to the horizontal.

2. A garment as defined in claim 1 in which the upper ends of the stays terminate below a horizontal line passing just below the nipple.

3. A garment as dened in claim 1 in which the upper ends of the stays are farther apart than their lower ends and terminate below a horizontal line passing just below the nipple.

4. A garment as defined in claim 1 in which one of the stays is in line with, but its upper en terminates below, the nipple.

5. A garment as defined in claim 1 'in which the stays are of an odd number and the inter mediately located stay is inline with, but its up# per end terminates below, the nipple; 1

6. A garment as defined in claim 1 in whichv one of the intermediately located stays is in line with, and its upper end terminates below, the

nipple, and theremaining stays extend to points the nipple, the upper ends of the stays being farther apart than their lower ends.

7. A garment as defined in claim 1 in which one of the intermediately located stays is in line with, and its upper end terminates below, the nipple, the upper ends of the stays being farther apart than their lower ends.

8. A garment adapted to be worn directly next to the body, comprising bust-supporting members, each member consisting of relatively soft fabric. material shaped to bust formation, and a plurality of stays arranged within each member and confined beneath the deepest portion of each member, the upper ends of the stays being farther apart than their lower ends.

9. A garment comprising bust supporting members, each member consisting of a fabric section shaped to bust formation, said section comprising two layers of relatively soft and pliable fabric material, and an insert of a fabric material adapted to be positioned between the two layers constituting the bust supporting section, a plurality of stays secured by stitching to said insert, said stays with respect to each insert consisting of an odd number. the upper edges of the intermediate stays of each insert being at a higher elevation than the adjoining stays, the garment being adapted, when worn, to position the nipples of the busts directly in line with the intermediate stays of the bust supporting members.

10. A garment comprising bust supporting members, each member consisting of a fabric section shaped to bust formation. said section comprising two layers of relatively soft and pliable fabric material, and an insert of a fabric material adapted to be positioned between the two layers constituting the bust supporting section, a plurality of stays secured by stitching to said insert, said stays with respect to each insert consisting 'of an odd number, the upper edges .of the intermediate stays of each insert being at a higher elevation than the adjoining stays, the stays adjoining the intermediate stays having their upper edges further apart than their lower edges, the garment being adapted, when worn, to position the nipples of the busts directly in line with the intermediate stays of the bust-supporting members.

ELVJRA C. MCKEEFREY. 

